The College Fix

Following widespread student opposition, Cornell allows Momodou Taal to remain enrolled after suspending him for leading a disruptive protest

Cornell University has walked back its decision to suspend a student and pull his visa after he led a protest that disrupted an on-campus job fair. The decision follows significant student opposition to the school’s disciplinary action.

“Cornell University has decided to allow me to remain an enrolled student,” foreign student Momodou Taal posted on X Thursday.

The Ivy League university placed Taal on “temporary suspension” after he and other pro-Palestinian activists disrupted a career fair and confronted representatives of Boeing, as previously reported by The College Fix. The loss of visa meant Taal was at risk for deportation. This was his second suspension for alleged misconduct.

He stated that the university made a “drastic shift” in its position, as two weeks ago, “they were determined to see [Taal] removed from the US.”

The post also states:

We also know that there are several outside forces who are applying pressure to ensure my removal but we have prevailed thanks to all those who wrote in, signed the petition and applied pressure. Thank you.

Now going forward: There are still some lesser restrictions that I will continue to fight to remove, but I no longer must do so under threat of immediate removal from the country. The struggle continues, but for now I will take this win and hope [it] serves as a reminder that you can fight back against these institutions.

I have no regrets. There will never come a time where I say to myself that I went too hard for Gaza. We still haven’t done near enough to stop the genocide.

It’s always and forever Free Palestine.

Students and faculty circulated a petition demanding the student’s reinstatement.

“This is the first time a Cornell graduate worker is facing immediate deportation without administrative due process or the ability to review evidence of their alleged misconduct,” the petition states.

“We are alarmed that temporary suspensions, the Student Code of Conduct, and the Interim Expressive Activity Policy are being weaponized against the most vulnerable student activists and leaders, in a cruel attempt to silence student protest,” it states.

Several pro-Israel commentators, however, criticized Cornell’s decision.

“This Hamas supporter [f***ed] around and found out. But then he came crying to @cornell, and the university caved,” Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia University, wrote.

“No consequences for hate will inevitably lead to more hate,” he wrote.

Joseph Kishore, the Socialist Equality Party presidential candidate, celebrated Taal’s “victory” in a post on X.

Kishore said the school was “forced to reverse” its suspension of the student “due to the outpouring of opposition from students, faculty and workers on campus.”

“Taal’s struggle is part of a broader fight against the efforts to silence opposition to Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza and the imperialist war drive of the United States,” he wrote.

MORE: Cornell arrests 24 pro-Palestinian student protesters

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